"I'll ask him…when we find him." He added grimly, "And if you don't go off on the hunt alone again. I want your promise, Galen."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Galen."
"I guess fair is fair. I had my shot. I'll let you have yours."
"Thank you," Travis said sarcastically. "I appreciate the favor."
"You should," Galen said. "I was royally pissed when I picked myself up off that sidewalk outside Deschamps's house."
"Are you coming back here?"
"Soon. I've still got to go see the Dumairs in St. Ives. See you."
Travis hung up and went outside on the porch. Dammit, he should have known Galen would do something crazy if the opportunity offered itself. He was always a law unto himself. Admit it, he was jealous of Galen, who was free to go after Deschamps and not tied up here. Well, at least Galen had gone on the offensive.
They would just have to see what kind of fallout his actions would bring from Deschamps.
Two nights later Cassie had a nightmare.
Melissa jerked upright in her bed at the first piercing scream.
"Cassie…" She swung her feet to the floor. "No, baby, don't do-"
"What's wrong?" Travis stood in the doorway. "I thought you said you didn't think she'd have any more nightmares."
"I said I hoped." She turned on the lamp.
Cassie screamed again.
"Don't just stand there. Sit down beside her and start talking to her."
"The usual things?"
She nodded and got under the covers with Cassie. "But when I tell you to stop, do it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to call her bluff."
"Bluff?"
"I've been telling her she won't have any more nightmares." She closed her eyes. "She's showing me I'm wrong."
"Pretty drastic demonstration."
"She wants me out. If she proves me wrong, she thinks I'll go away." She cuddled closer to Cassie. "Talk to her, Travis."
She closed him out, only vaguely aware of the murmur of his voice. Cassie was keeping her at bay. There was no strong pull catapulting her into Cassie's world as there usually was during one of the nightmares. It took her a few minutes to force herself into Cassie's mind.
Terror.
Swirling horror behind her.
Monsters.
"No monsters," Melissa said.
"Liar." Cassie was running, going deeper. "They're here. I have to get away."
"If they're here, it's because you brought them. And you can send them away."
"I told you they'd come."
"Because you want an excuse to stay here."
"Have to go deeper…"
"No." Melissa put herself in front of Cassie, blocking her path. "Stop running."
"Get out of my way." Melissa could feel the force of the child's willpummeling her. "Go away."
"There are no monsters behind you. Turn around and see."
"I won't. I won't."
"Turn around."
"They're here. I have to run."
"Turn around." Melissa took her shoulders and forced her to turn around.
"I won't look."
"You will look."
"You can't make me."
"You know that's not true. I'm stronger than you are now, Cassie. Open your eyes."
The child held out for another moment and then slowly her lids lifted.
"What do you see, Cassie?"
"Monsters."
"What do you see?"
"Monsters."
"What do you see?"
"I told you," she said defiantly.
"Then why haven't they hurt you?"
"Michael is keeping them away."
"Go away, Travis."
"No!" Cassie struggled to get away from her. "You come back, Michael!"
But Travis's voice had stopped.
"He's gone, Cassie. And you're still here."
"The monsters are coming. They'll get me."
Jesus, her will was strong. "They're not here. You don't see them."
"Don't tell me what I see."
"Then you tell me. What do you see?"
"Masks and teeth and eyes…"
"But they haven't hurt you. Because they're not real. I'm going to hold you right here and let you face them. If they get too close, I'll be here to protect you."
"No, you won't." She was sobbing. "You hate me."
"I love you."
"Then let me go."
"When you tell me what you're seeing."
"Mon-" Her voice broke. "I have to-I can't go back. I have to go deeper."
"What do you see?"
She suddenly whirled on Melissa. "Nothing," she screamed. "Nothing. Nothingl"
"No monsters?"
"No monsters. Are you satisfied now?"
"Oh, yes." Tears were running down her face as she drew Cassie into her arms. "I couldn't be more satisfied, baby."
"Let me go." Her arms tightened around Melissa even as she spoke. "I hate you."
"Soon." Melissa rocked her back and forth. "I'll let you go soon, Cassie…"
It was over an hour later when she opened her eyes.
"Hi." Travis was sitting in the chair next to the bed. "How are you?"
"Okay" she whispered. She kissed Cassie's forehead before slipping out of bed." It took a while to get her to sleep."
"What the hell happened? She screamed like a banshee when I stopped talking to her. It scared me silly."
"I was pretty scared myself."
"But it worked out all right?"
She nodded. "Breakthrough. She admitted to me and to herself that there were no monsters in the tunnel."
"So no more nightmares?"
"God, I hope not. Her imagination is powerful enough to create whatever she wants to. But at least she's aware now that she was lying to herself. The best possible result would be for her to start doubting the reason she thinks she's in the tunnel."
"And what is that?"
"The Wind Dancer wants to keep her there to be safe."
"Can you convince her that's not true?"
"I'll try to nibble away at it." She turned off the lamp on the nightstand. "I only hope it doesn't take long. I'm going to make a cup of decaf and try to get back to sleep. Do you want one?"
"Why not?" Travis followed her to the kitchen and watched her as she made the coffee. "The two of you didn't need me tonight, did you? That's why you sent me away. To prove to Cassie that she could do without me."
"And we did it." She sat down at the table. "That should make you happy. You're free of her."
"That's not entirely fair. I've never begrudged my help with Cassie."
"Even though you used it as a bargaining tool."
"Touche." He lifted his cup to his lips. "It's the nature of the beast. I'm no saint either, Melissa. I've never pretended to be."
No, he'd always been open with them about his character and motivations. The way he thought might be as convoluted as a Chinese puzzle, but they'd always known where they stood with him. "I guess you had your reasons. You said you were worried about your friend Jan. It seems you had cause."